District 200 Board Votes To Reinstate Teacher

February 02, 1999|By Bob Goldsborough. Special to the Tribune.

The Wheaton Warrenville Unit District 200 school board on Monday night reinstated a controversial former 1st-grade teacher who resigned under fire amid allegations about his teaching style and conduct with pupils.

Chris Bogosian, 29, gave what he called a conditional resignation from the district in October after the tenured teacher at Wiesbrook School in Wheaton was the subject of allegations that he had engaged in inappropriate physical contact with 1st-grade girls and that his teaching style was ineffective.

The board changed its mind without comment and voted unanimously Monday night to return Bogosian to the classroom, but at Bower School in Warrenville on Feb. 16.

Reached late Monday, Bogosian and his attorney. Mark Kalina, said they were unaware of the district's offer.

"It's too early to react, but there seems to be an admission of guilt required here in this remediation. But I don't think Chris will admit to any inappropriate behavior," Kalina said.

As part of the agreement, the board gave Bogosian a confidential, open-ended remediation plan that outlines specific conduct that he is to avoid as a teacher.

Bogosian has been cleared of any criminal wrongdoing by both the DuPage County state's attorney's office and the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services. Kalina said Bogosian's behavior involves conduct that is no different from the physical interaction between female teachers and 1st-grade students.

Also Monday, the board began deliberations aimed toward hiring a new superintendent.

Wheaton resident David Kroeze withdrew his name from consideration late last week, leaving the board with two current candidates, Robert McKanna, a schools superintendent in upstate New York, and Thornton High School District 205 Supt. Gary Catalini.

McKanna had been one of two finalists for the vacant superintendent post at Oak Park-River Forest High School, but that district said Monday it would pursue the other finalist, Glenbard West High School Principal Susan Bridge.

Also, the board voted unanimously late Monday to go to voters in April with a $35 million bond issue to improve nine district grade schools.